Family Ties and Lies
by Schmavis Jones
Summary: The W.I.T.C.H. girls after the defeat of the Dark Mother in New Powers. Someone from Taranee's past comes and makes the girls wonder what secrets are waiting for them in their families. Just a little one shot about family ties and lies.


**Hey you may know me from the story A New Kind of Mystery but I'm kindda stuck so I decided to take a break and write this little one shot. Read WITCH issue78 to understand (this takes place after the end of New Powers).**

Will Vandom, Irma Lair, Cornelia Hale and Hay Lin were walking to their friend Taranee Cook's house. Along the way they had met a couple who looked a lot like their friend. "So, what did Tara want to talk to us about again?" Hay Lin asked.

"I don't know. She never said." Will told the group.

"Probably about studying." Cornelia stated.

"Or maybe her birth parents were those people we saw." Irma joked.

After what turned out to be a study group the four were walking home. "That was the most intense studying I have _ever_ done." Irma complained.

"Isn't that the only studying you've ever done?" Hay Lin jokingly asked her friend.

"No, she studied Andrew Hornby well when she had a crush on him." Will said. The four girls laughed until Irma told them that it wasn't that funny. Then they saw the couple from before talking to Mrs. Kickerbocker, the principal of their school.

"I wonder what they're doing." Will asked as the grouped had stopped, all of them thinking the same thing as Will. Then there was another surprise as the principal pointed at the group and then the couple walked towards them.

"Hello I'm John and this is my wife Julia." The man held out his hand and each girl shook it, "We are looking for Taranee Cook."

"She's at her house, but why? She hasn't done anything wrong." Cornelia asked.

"No. of course not. We are her birth parents." Julia told the girls.

"I don't believe you." Irma said, "Did you talk to Taranee's adoptive parents about this. They did kinda keep her in the dark about being adopted for 14 years."

"We were not aware of this!" John was obviously angry, "We will have to contact them immedeatly." And with that the couple marched off in the direction of their new house they bought in order to be near their daughter.

"I think you just messed things up Irma." Hay Lin said.

"I know me and my big mouth." Irma replied as they walked the rest of the way to their homes.

Taranee Cook's friends had just left half an hour ago when the phone rang. "I got it!" she yelled, "Hello Cook residence. Who is this?"

"Is this Mr. or Mrs. Cook?" the male voice asked, he sounded angry, but then again her dad was a lawyer and her mom was a judge.

"No this is their daughter." Taranee answered.

"Oh." The voice sounded surprised and a little upset, "Well, can we talk to your _parents_?" the man put a stress on the word parents like he resented that word.

"Ok. Mom! Dad! There's a man on the phone who wants to talk to you!" Taranee yelled for her parents. Mrs. Cook then came over and took the phone from her daughter. She ran and hid behind a door so that she could hear the conversation.

"Mr. Jones? This is a surprise."

"What do you mean who told you?"

"We were just doing what we thought was right for Taranee, Mr. Jones! She is our daughter as much as yours now."

"Wh-what? You really expect me to allow you in my house after yelling at me like that?" Taranee ran to her room. Her birth parents were looking for her, but why were they mad at her mom? Did they find out that they hid the fact that she was adopted from her and were not happy about it?

As Taranee Cook lied on her bed she wondered if she would ever meet her birth parents. She wondered why now, when she was 14, to come looking for her? If they wanted her back? Right then and there she decided what she would do if they asked.

The next afternoon Taranee entered her house after a long walk back from Sheffield Institute, her school, with her friends. "Tara come into the living room your mother and I have some visitors for you!" Taranee's father yelled. Then Taranee walked into the living room and saw her brother, Peter, her parents and couple that were introduced as her birth parents.

After getting to know each other the Jones asked, "Tara, would you like to come live with us?"

Taranee knew that they would ask this. She looked around and judging by the sad looks on her family's faces she suspected that her answer would be a surprise to them, "No"

"Why not? You would still be living in Heatherfield and still be going to Sheffield Institute!" Mrs. Jones exclaimed.

"Yea, I know. But nothing would be the same without waking up to the family who raised me every day. Don't get me wrong it's great to finally meet you, but I can still visit you. I just am too attached to this family."

With that Peter gave her a big bear hug and said, "I knew you'd stay Tara! You're the best little sister ever!" Taranee just laughed at her brother's craziness and smiled.

That's when Taranee remembered that she had some magic to teach. "Sorry to run, but my friends and I just got a job and I have to go! Bye!"

After Taranee left Mrs. Cook sighed, "She's been like this since her first year at Sheffield, always running off with her friends."

The Jones looked at each other, then, Mr. Jones said, "Listen I need to tell you something." He and his wife explained how they were descendants of Meridians who moved to Earth to try and live normal lives. They had magical powers in their family that skipped their generation (for Mr. Jones only though) and they thought had skipped Taranee's until the day of the fire.

"I want to check something." Mrs. Jones said. Then she focused her energy calling out to the Guardians of the infinite dimensions asking for help.

"Now we wait." Mrs. Jones said. Not too long later the guardians showed up, they looked like Taranee and her friends, but more Peter's age than 14.

"What's the problem here?" The energy guardian asked.

"Nothing just wondering." Mr. Jones said, "And we were right Will Vandom, leader of the Guardians of the infinite dimensions and Energy Guardian. Irma Lair, Water Guardian, Cornelia Hale, Earth Guardian, Hay Lin, Air Guardian. And finally, Taranee Cook, Fire Guardian."

"How did you know who we are? We look older?" Will asked.

"Because we are descendants of Merdians." Mrs. Jones said.

"Wow Tara! Now you know how Elyon felt when she found out she was from Meridian." Irma commented.

"Yea, but she was learning that she was the true ruler of Meridian." Taranee said.

"Wait!" Cornelia said, "If Taranee comes from a magical family and Hay Lin's grandma being an ex-guardian and my little sister being the heart of earth. Do you think that our parents have something to tell us?"

"Good point. Let's go." Will said. Then WITCH minus Taranee went home to talk to their parents and let the cat out of the bag about their powers.

When Will Vandom talked to her mom and step father, Dean Collins, she learned that her mother was a magical healer in Zamballa for 3 years before she met Tony Vandom. Susan Vandom was not surprised to hear that her daughter was the leader of the Guardians of the Infinite Dimensions and Energy Guardian, she saw Will's qualities and knew the Heart of Kandrakar would pick her. Dean just passed out from shock as soon as Will said she had magical powers.

When Irma Lair spoke to her Dad, step mom and half brother she learned that her birth mother, who died when she was young, had been offered a spot on the Council of Known Worlds before she died for her bravery in trying to stop Prince Phobos on Meridian. Tom and Anna Lair were not surprised that Irma had inherited her mother's magic over water and were even less surprised when they learned she was the Water Guardian. Chris, her little brother, was ecstatic that his big sister was a superhero and they all had a good laugh.

When Cornelia Hale spoke to her mom, dad and sister she learned that her great grandma had been the last Heart of Earth. Her parents were not surprised to hear that Cornelia was the Earth Guardian or that Lillian was the new Heart of Earth. Lillian was excited to have magical powers and disappointed that the Regents Matt, Napoleon and Huggles would hold her power until she was old enough to handle them. They got into a big group hug that included an angry Napoleon yelling, "I don't do hugs I'm a cat!"

Finally when Hay Lin spoke to her parents she learned that they knew Yan Lin was the past Air Guardian. They found out after Kadma accidentally contacted them while trying to get to Yan and Hay Lin. When they found out Hay Lin's father was not surprised since it would explain some of his mother and daughters absences for hours on end. "I'm just glad we were finally able to tell you." Hay Lin said with a smile.

Now with their families knowing, the five Guardians of the Infinite Dimensions were able to fight evil quicker because there were no secrets between them and their families.

The End


End file.
